Elephant found dead with tusks missing

The carcass of a tusker with bullet injury marks and its tusks missing was found today near Ludhagura chhak in the Dhama forest range of Sambalpur district, Forest department sources said.

Forest department officials, who rushed to the spot on being informed by villagers, found the tusks missing from the pachyderm’s carcass.

A Forest department official quoted the age of the dead elephant to be around 8 to 10 years. He said both the tusks were missing on their arrival.

The Forest official said the elephant might have died around two to three days back while saying that the animal had come from Sonepur district with bullet injury and was seen roaming in the forest by the locals a week ago.

He added that it was shot at around one month ago and had received severe injury. The tusker was buried after an autopsy was conducted on it.

Sources said poachers were active in the area and had shot dead a 45-year old elephant in the Jamankira forest range of Sambalpur district and had taken away its tusks.